Budapest Work Spaces

 I'm here in Budapest again this summer, enjoying the ambiance of the place and getting some good work done.  One of the things I love about this city is how many great places there are to write.  This includes tons of great cafes where you can order a latte and camp out for an hour or two, but also some spectacular libraries, including the main library, Szabo Ervin, where I spend a fair bit of my time:

This library was previously a palace, but at some point, the city managed to get hold of the property and converted it, keeping many of the rooms intact.  I've posted about this before, but it always does amaze me.

The only problems are that, first off, it's become a bit of a tourist destination over the past few years, so it can be distracting when all of these people are filing through all the time, taking photos and videos to post on their Instagram feeds.  It's also quite popular these days as a film location, so they often shut some of the rooms off for shooting.  Last week I got some photos of actors hanging out in front, waiting for their turns in front of the camera:

When it's too busy around that library, I can also go to another gorgeous one not far away, the ELTE university library, which tends to be quiet in the summer:

And if all else fails, there are always plenty of stunning cafes to hang out in, like the Urania Coffee House where I am currently writing this post.  This place is a bit of a hidden secret.  It's part of classic old movie house, and locals know about it because they come here to grab a coffee before a movie starts, but otherwise, the place is pretty quiet.

 In any case, with all of these great work spaces around here, I have no excuse not to pound out my latest Nathan Grant thriller, The Berlin Connection.  It's coming along!  Things are really heating up at the moment, as Nathan zeroes in on the bad guy.  I can't wait to get it out there and see what people think!  In the meantime, hanging out in Budapest is not a bad place to be for the summer.  I hope you are enjoying the season wherever you are in the world, too.